Nightmares Shared
by Lynt
Summary: Part 1 of the Nightmares Shared series. This is a story where Daniel has been downsized to a child but with his adult memories somewhat intact.
1. Chapter 1

"_Danyel."_

_Warm liquid brown eyes suddenly turned to golden fire and she raised her hand._

"_Don't!"_

_She smiled mirthlessly and a fiery shaft erupted from her palm, searing the flesh of his forehead, sending tendrils of agony into his brain. A protest whispered from between his clenched teeth as he sank to his knees._

_Fire flashed from behind him._

"Shaure, no!"

o0o

Jack was galvanized into action before he even registered he was awake. He tore down the hallway and into the spare room, pausing only to slap on the light before hurrying to the figure thrashing on the bed. "Daniel? Hey, buddy, it's okay," he murmured soothingly.

Daniel stilled, the bedclothes still twisted around him, and flopped onto his back to stare up at Jack. "Jack? I had another nightmare."

Jack's breath caught in his throat as familiar blue eyes framed by an almost, but not quite familiar, childish face stared up at him. A tear welled up from Daniel's right eye and dribbled down his cheek. Jack forced a smile. "I figured that."

"I'm sorry," Daniel whispered, more tears joining the first.

"Hey, no biggie. I've had my share of nightmares." Jack tried to remember what Janet had said when they'd brought the mini-version of Daniel back through the gate from PXP – wherever. Something to do with his child psyche suffering damage from the memories he still carried from adult Daniel. Seemed like crap to him. A kid was a kid. They had a nightmare, you held them, said nonsense, soothing stuff and they went back to sleep and by the next day, they'd forgotten all about it.

"I had a dream about Shaure," Daniel said, his voice quavering.

Crap! Or not.

Jack sat down on the bed and untangled the bedclothes from Daniel's gangly legs. He patted his lap. "C'mere."

Daniel obeyed with alacrity, settling himself on Jack's knees, wrapping thin arms around his neck, his face burrowing into the juncture of Jack's shoulder. Jack tried not to squirm at the feel of damp cloth against his groin.

"I peed my pants," Daniel said softly, snuffling against Jack's skin. "She scared me."

Jack patted his back. "No biggie," he reassured Daniel. "Got plenty more PJs. Janet and Carter went shopping, remember?"

He felt Daniel nod against his neck. "Just not the teddy bear ones, okay? I've still got my pride."

Jack squeezed him a little tighter. "We'll fix it, Daniel, okay? I promise."

Daniel pulled away from him slightly, blue eyes huge in a solemn face. "What if you can't? What if I can't ever be on the team again? What if –"

Jack shushed him, placing a finger on his lips. "I promise you we'll figure it out… somehow."

Wetness dribbled once again down Daniel's reddened cheeks. "I'm scared, Jack."

Jack cupped the small face between his hands. "It scares me too but I'll do everything I can to fix it. Okay?"

Daniel nodded but his expression was still miserable. "Sorry for being such a wuss," he said. He raised a hand and wiped his pajama sleeve across his nose; the action so incongruous with the serious, adult discussion they'd just had that Jack almost cried himself.

"If you're a wuss, Danny, then so am I." He pulled tissues from the box by the bed and dried Daniel's eyes; helped him to blow his nose. "You think you can sleep now?"

Daniel nodded but he dropped his gaze to his lap before looking up at Jack through shuttered eyelids. "Could I…?"

Jack smiled and nodded, a tremulous, almost guilty relief going through him at the half-spoken request. Truth was, he didn't want to let go of Daniel anytime soon either. "Yeahsureyoubetcha," he quipped.

He scooped Daniel up in his arms, collected a spare set of PJs from the dresser on the way out and headed back to his bedroom.

"You gonna finish that story from last night?" Daniel asked sleepily as Jack deposited him on the bed.

Jack suppressed a groan. "Sure, why not?"

"Just no making stuff up this time, okay?" Daniel said as he scooted under the covers and deposited himself in the center of the bed. "I've read it before, you know."


	2. Chapter 2

Walter Harriman tried not to stare at the small boy who was wandering around his office, picking up folders and perusing them before laying them back down. Except this wasn't just any small boy, he reminded himself, still in awe at what he'd seen with his own eyes when SG-1 had returned from their latest foray off-world. This was Daniel Jackson. Doctor Daniel Jackson. Archeologist, linguist, probably the smartest guy Walter had ever met. He surreptitiously studied the boy for a moment from behind the cover of his laptop. A shock of blond hair framed a rounded face, and inquisitive blue eyes were partly concealed by wire-framed glasses, but there was no doubting who it was. It was just a… younger version. Walter felt a shiver snake down his spine.

Daniel looked up suddenly and smiled at him. Walter felt his face heat and dropped his gaze to the computer screen.

"What'cha doing?" Daniel asked, stepping up to stand beside Walter's chair.

"Reports," Walter said. "SG-9's last assignment turned up some interesting artifacts and… It's pretty boring, actually," he finished lamely. He wasn't very good with kids, wasn't very good with people in fact, and this just felt plain weird. He wished Colonel O'Neill had taken the boy into Hammond's office with him.

"Boring?" Daniel shook his head and climbed up onto the chair beside Walter. His legs swung back and forth as he spoke, words spilling from his mouth. "Artifacts are never boring! Even when people have long gone from an area, planet, whatever, you can still tell so much about them from what they left behind." He reached out and tapped the screen. "See those knives?"

Walter nodded.

"Means they were hunters and gatherers."

"What's it like?" Walter asked suddenly, unable to stop the question from tumbling out.

"What's what like?"

Walter reached for another file. "Doesn't matter." He looked longingly at the closed door to the General's office.

"What's it like being a kid again?" Daniel asked quietly.

Walter sighed and nodded. "I mean, for me, it's strange. I don't know if I'm talking to a kid or…" His words trailed off and his hands gestured uselessly.

"Pretty strange from here too," Daniel said. "Most of the time I don't know which I am. Here at the mountain, it seems it's more my grown up self. Maybe because of the stuff here that's familiar." He leaned in closer to Walter. "I had a nightmare last night," he confided softly. "About Sha're, only I didn't feel grown up then, just really scared."

Walter opened his mouth but before he could speak, the intercom buzzed.

"Send Doctor Jackson in, will you, Sergeant," Hammond's voice said.

Daniel swung himself off the chair and headed for the door. He knocked and walked in. Walter stared after him for a moment, then shaking his head, got back to work. Sometimes he wished he'd listened to his mother and become a teacher.

o0o

"Doctor Jackson… Daniel… How are you feeling, son?" General Hammond asked with a kindly smile.

Problem was, Daniel thought, it was a smile adults reserved for children. That wasn't fair, he admonished himself, the general had always seemed to have a soft spot for him. He rubbed at his head and pushed his glasses up his nose. He felt a little headachy actually, probably from not enough sleep the night before.

"Daniel?" Jack nudged his shoulder. "The general is talking to you."

"Sorry." Daniel matched Hammond's smile with one of his own. "Okay, I guess."

"Good." Hammond leaned back and steepled his fingers on the desk. "I want you to know every scientist at the mountain is working on coming up with a solution."

"Maybe I'll just wake up one morning and be big again," Daniel offered.

Hammond nodded. "I hope so. Meantime… Jack thought it might be best if you stay with him."

"I guess. It's just all my stuff is at my place and -"

"Danny." Jack squatted down in front of him. "What do you think the neighbours would say about a little kid living alone in an apartment?"

"I'm not a kid!" He felt tears sting his eyes and he wiped at his cheeks. While he seemed to be able to speak and think like an adult most of the time, it seemed his emotions had been downsized along with his body. He slumped, hunching his shoulders. "Sorry. It's just… hard, you know."

Jack reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "I know."

"I've looked after myself since I was a little kid anyway. My folks weren't around much and my grandfather treated me like a grownup. When my mom and dad died, well, let's just say some of the foster parents weren't taking kids in because they loved them."

Jack pulled him forward and he was engulfed in a brief hug. It felt good being comforted and he was sorry when Jack released him. "Not this time," Jack said. "No foster homes this time. Okay?"

Daniel nodded. "Okay."

"Thing is, if the neighbours see you, they're likely to call the authorities…"

Daniel felt his chest tighten, long buried memories of beatings and dark closets ambushing him. He grabbed Jack's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Why don't I stay at your place?"

Jack grinned and stood, ruffling Daniel's hair. "I figured you'd see it my way."

"Jack tells me he'd like to take a couple of days off, get you settled. I thought that was a good idea," Hammond put in.

"Thought we could go camping, get in a little fishing."

"Really?" At Jack's nod, Daniel smiled. "Cool!"

The grin fell away from Jack's face suddenly. "Wait a minute. You hate fishing!"

"I just want to be somewhere where no one will be staring at me," Daniel explained. "I think Walter's really freaked out. You can fish," he offered expansively. "I'll watch and read a book."

"Boring," Jack replied.

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is -"

"Colonel O'Neill!" Hammond shook his head. "I'm beginning to wonder who the real child is."

Daniel ignored the tongue Jack stuck out at him. "Are Sam and Teal'c coming?"

"Carter's helping to figure out how to grow you up again and Teal'c's gone to see Rya'c for a couple days."

"So, it's just us."

"Yep."

"Cool!"

Jack instinctively held out his hand and Daniel, just as naturally took it. "Let's head to your place, grab your things, then pack our stuff and hit the road."

o0o

"Daaaniel? You gonna be ready any time soon?" Jack checked his watch for the fourth time and muttered a curse. They'd already spent more than an hour at Daniel's apartment because the kid couldn't figure out what books he wanted to bring, and then when he did, insisted on trying to pull them from the top shelf of the bookcase himself. Jack had virtually had to drag Daniel off the chair he'd climbed onto and order him to stay out of the way. Kid… He thought a moment about that. He'd always thought of Daniel as a kid anyway, sort of like the kid brother he'd always wanted. He supposed as long as he never referred to Daniel like that out loud, there was no harm done.

"Just finding my plain t-shirts," Daniel called out from the spare bedroom, sounding a little out of breath. "Have you seen what some of these shirts have got on them? I think I know which ones Janet bought."

"Just get a move on, okay?" Jack groused. "It'll be dark before we get there." He busied himself re-checking their box of supplies. Daniel's appetite for sweet treats had become voracious since he'd been downsized and Jack had hidden a couple of candy bars underneath the cans of beans for when they got there. If Daniel found them, he'd insist on having one on the journey, and Jack didn't need him barfing in the car the whole way to the campsite.

He was about to head into the bedroom to carry Daniel out bodily when there was a knock at the door. "Damn it! Not now." He strode to the door, issuing a final command over his shoulder. "Now, Daniel! Or I'm going without you."

"Won't," Daniel rebuked.

"Wanna bet? Watch me."

"I'm a kid now, remember? You can't."

Jack pushed away the thought that some kids needed a damn good spanking and flung open the door. "Sara?" He stared in surprise at his ex-wife. "What are you doing here?"

Sara smiled at him, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "I was just passing and…" She shook her head. "That's a lie. I've just been wondering how you're doing. Haven't heard from you in a while." She took a step back. "If this is a bad time…"

"No." Jack reached for her arm and drew her into the house. "It's good to see you. How have you been?"

"Jack?" Daniel came tearing out of the bedroom. "I haven't got a jacket. Do you think I'll need one?" He skidded to a halt in front of their visitor. "Oh, hi, Sara." The minute the words were out, his eyes went wide with shock.

Jack closed his own eyes briefly, shutting out the sight of a totally bemused Sara and a horrified Daniel. When he opened them, Sara was leaning down to Daniel's level. "Seems like I'm at a disadvantage here," she said, reaching out to take Daniel's hand and shaking it. "You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"I saw your picture. Jack told me your name," Daniel offered lamely, waving at a photo of Jack, Sara and Charlie on the mantle.

"This is Danny," Jack said quickly. "Friend's son. He got called into work - double shift - asked if I could watch Danny for the weekend."

"We're going fishing," Daniel informed her solemnly then, his nose wrinkling, he added, "Well, Jack's fishing. I'm watching."

Sara nodded and straightened. "That's great. I know you'll have a good time."

"I'll get my stuff," Daniel said, turning and running back down the hall. "I'm ready now."

"You want some coffee?" Jack asked.

"I won't keep you." She glanced quickly toward the hallway. "I've wanted to let you know for a while now, just wasn't sure exactly how to tell you… I'm getting married."

A lump rose in Jack's throat, threatening to choke him. "Oh yeah? That's great news. To Jerry, right?"

"Yeah." Sara nodded, looking relieved.

"Congratulations." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, feeling awkward. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. I'd better go. Let you and Danny head off on your great adventure. He's a cute kid."

Jack gave her a wry grin. "He has his moments."

"Don't they all?" For a moment, sadness seemed to overwhelm her, then wiping at her eyes with the heels of her hands, she smiled shakily and reached out to place a hand on his arm. "You're looking good, Jack. Better than you have for a long time. I think having a child around suits you."

"Thanks." Jack followed her to the door. "So, do I get an invite to the wedding? I promise not to embarrass you."

"Invite will be in the mail next week," Sara said. "I would have brought it but I wasn't sure how you'd take the news."

Jack leaned forward and kissed her cheek, the embrace he gave her more comfortable now. "I'm happy for you," he said sincerely, if a little wistfully. He watched her go then closed the door and leaned against it, closing his eyes and making no attempt to banish the what-ifs and whys that sprang to mind.

"Jack?" Daniel whispered.

Jack opened his eyes and smiled down at his young charge. "You ready?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry about before. I nearly blew it, didn't I?"

"Nah." Jack ruffled Daniel's hair then picked up his bag and took his hand. "No biggie." He opened the door and led Daniel out to the car. "She thinks you're cute," he said and laughed out loud when Daniel whacked his leg.

"Does not."

"Does too."


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel squirmed uncomfortably in the passenger seat. "Jack? I have to go!"

Jack glanced over at his pint-sized friend. "Again? I thought you said you went before we left."

"I did," Daniel protested. "Then Sara showed up and you talked for ages and now," he grimaced and wriggled some more, "now, I really need to go!"

"We're only a little ways from the campsite. Can you hold on till then?"

"No!"

Jack sighed. "Okay, look, there's a truck stop coming up in a few minutes." He looked over at Daniel where he sat in his booster seat beside him. There'd been a vociferous argument from Daniel on the necessity of the safety device and he'd only backed down when Jack agreed that he could sit up front. "Can you hold on for that long?" he asked. He tried not to grin at the way Daniel was hanging onto his crotch. "Either that or I pull over here and you can pee in the bushes."

"No!" Daniel protested. "Besides, I need to stretch my legs." At Jack's amused look, he added, "I know they're not long legs any more but they still get cramped up."

Jack nodded in empathy. His knees were protesting their enforced inactivity as well. "Works for me." He grinned evilly. "I'll try not to go over any bumps."

"Just remember this is your car we're in," Daniel shot back with a satisfied smirk. "If I can't hold on -" He shrugged dismissively.

"I get the message, Daniel. Just cross your legs or something."

"If I crossed them any more, I'd be a pretzel." Daniel squirmed again, his hand going back to his crotch. "Just hurry."

o0o

"Hey there, cutie. What can I get you?" the grey-haired woman behind the counter asked.

Daniel smiled sweetly at her. "I'll take a beer with a tequila chaser."

The woman gave a throaty laugh and Jack looked ready to kill him. Precisely the reaction he'd hoped for.

Jack cuffed him lightly on the back of his head. "Kid's always kidding around. We've got a campsite not far from here." He gave Daniel a smirk. "If Danny hadn't needed to go to the bathroom, we would have been there by now."

Daniel gave Jack a mutinous look. "Don't call me Danny like I'm a little kid!" Sticking his tongue out at Jack in a decidedly child-like manner, he climbed down from his stool. "I don't want anything." He stomped to the exit and pushed the door open. Trust Jack to embarrass him like that! Didn't he realize just how hard he was finding it to adjust to all the little kid stuff? Couldn't even wait five minutes longer to pee! He hated this, hated everything, hated Jack!

"Daniel, wait!"

He ignored Jack's call and stormed outside, running across the parking lot toward the SUV.

"Daniel!"

Hands grabbed him from behind, pulling him into the air, a split second before a car flashed by, its horn tooting loudly. Jack squeezed him tightly then turned him in his arms and pushed him back a little. "What the hell was that about? You almost got run over!"

Daniel stared at him, his chest tight with fear. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I didn't think."

Jack set him down on the ground but kept a tight grip of his hand. "I don't have that many years left, Daniel. Don't scare them all out of me."

Truth was, Daniel didn't know what had made him lose it like that. He felt his face heat. Maybe whatever had downsized him was gradually downsizing his brain as well. Maybe soon, he'd be wearing a diaper and drinking from a bottle…

"Daniel?" Jack touched his shoulder and he looked up. Jack was frowning at him, looking worried. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

Jack squatted down in front of him. "I'm sorry for teasing you in front of the lady." He scrubbed a hand over his face. "This is still kinda new to me too. I mean, I teased you all the time -"

"When I was big," Daniel interjected. He felt his chin start to quiver and determinedly pushed back his tears. "I just can't seem to stop getting upset over nothing."

"It wasn't nothing," Jack said. He held out his arms and Daniel went willingly into his embrace. "It was me being mean and not thinking. I'm sorry." He patted Daniel's back soothingly a few times.

"Okay."

Jack winced as he stood up. "So, do you want something to drink or do you want to wait till we get there?" he asked.

"Let's wait. Will we still have time for you to fish before dinner?" Daniel asked.

Jack checked his watch. "Plenty." He held out his hand and Daniel took it. "Let's get back on the road."

o0o

Daniel tried manfully to help Jack set up the tent but his smaller stature and little fingers were just making things more difficult. He plopped down onto his butt in the dirt and watched disconsolately as Jack finished the task himself.

Jack dusted off his hands and gave the tent a critical look then his gaze shifted to Daniel. "Tell you what, why don't you grab us a snack out of the box while I set up the sleeping bags?"

"What did you bring?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Look and see."

Standing, Daniel scampered over to the car and climbed into the rear. Rummaging through the box, he held a bag aloft. "Peanut butter cookies! My favourite." He rummaged some more then emerged victorious with a candy bar in each hand. "Cool! Thanks, Jack."

"Uh-uh" Jack shook his head. "Put one back. I'm not having you throwing up in my new tent."

Daniel shrugged and tossed one bar back into the box, then clambered down again with his booty held to his chest. He waited while Jack pulled out two fishing rods and a large tackle box from the back. "How come you got two fishing rods?"

"One for you, one for me."

Daniel shook his head. "I don't like fishing, you know that."

"You ever tried it?"

"No, but…"

"Then you don't know, do you?" Jack hefted the tackle box and headed toward the river. "Come on, before it gets too late and we miss out on catching supper."

o0o

Daniel had to admit that fishing was pretty fun, as long as he didn't have to bait the hook himself. He certainly didn't want one of those nasty barbs in his finger. He hadn't even thought about the books he'd brought with him until they'd got back to camp. He put the textbook aside now and inhaled the scent of frying fish deeply. His stomach grumbled in anticipation and Jack chuckled.

"All this fresh air is giving you an appetite, Danny boy."

Daniel nodded and smiled back. "It smells great! I'm starving!"

Jack slid a couple of fish fillets onto a plate and added a potato that had been baked in the embers of the fire then handed it over. "Dig in then."

They ate in companionable silence until Daniel realized that his child-sized stomach just couldn't fit anymore in. He put the plate aside and groaned theatrically, holding his belly. "I'm full."

Jack grabbed up Daniel's discarded plate and finished off the meal. "No sense wasting it," he said at Daniel's incredulous look. "Besides, I did all the hard work."

"I caught more fish than you," Daniel retorted.

"Yeah, yeah, only because I let you," Jack said. Daniel yawned widely. "Time for bed," Jack decided.

"Are you coming?" Daniel looked toward the tent with trepidation. He hadn't had a nightmare in a while but out here, alone in a tent…

"Have to clean up the campsite first," Jack said.

"I'll stay and watch." Jack opened his mouth as though he was going to protest then shrugged.

Daniel watched Jack clear away their dishes and put out the fire, his eyes growing heavy. He barely felt Jack sit down beside him but leaned into the warmth of the man beside him, feeling Jack's arm go round his shoulders. He looked up at the sky twinkling with stars. "Do you think you can see Abydos from here?" he asked softly.

"If I had my telescope, we could try. Let's see…" For the next few minutes, Daniel tried to concentrate as Jack pointed out the various constellations but the lure of sleep was too much and he allowed himself to drift off, secure in Jack's arms.

o0o

_Thick, warm, blood-red liquid filled his mouth and he gagged on the foul taste of it. _

_"Tell me where the boy is!" a deep, disembodied voice demanded. _

_"Come on, Daniel," Jack's voice echoed in his head. "Where's the boy? You told me before…" _

"No!"

o0o

The high-pitched wail of distress tore Jack instantly from sleep and he shot up, totally forgetting he was in a low-roofed tent. He looked around blindly for a moment then scrabbled for the flashlight he'd set beside the sleeping bag for emergencies. Switching it on, he played the beam over the sleeping bag next to him.

Daniel sat up ramrod straight, his eyes wide and staring ahead at something only he could see, his chest heaving, sobs of distress falling from trembling lips. The upper layer of the sleeping bag was clutched up around his chest as though in an attempt to ward some evil off.

Jack clambered out of bed and crawled over to Daniel's side. "Daniel? It's me, Jack." He reached out and touched Daniel's shoulder but the boy set up another round of screaming and flinched away from him.

"It's all right, Danny, it's Jack," Jack soothed, unwittingly using the diminutive Daniel had so protested about earlier that day. He sat next to the terrified child and drew him gently into his arms.

Daniel stiffened at first and then wrapped both arms tightly around Jack's neck, sobbing loudly.

"Another bad dream, huh?" Jack asked. He felt Daniel nod against his neck. Jack sat for what seemed like hours, gently rocking his young charge, whispering soothing words until he felt the small body relax.

"Okay now?" Jack asked. Again, Daniel shook his head. "Okay. How about you come sleep in my sleeping bag till you're feeling better."

There was a moment's pause then Daniel nodded. Finally, he looked up at Jack. Jack smiled at him and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Come on, then, up you go." He shone the flashlight on his own rumpled sleeping bag and waited for Daniel to crawl off his lap. He seriously doubted his knees would stand the strain of crawling back over the firm ground with a child clinging to him. Daniel still sat, biting his bottom lip, looking worried. "Daniel?" Jack prodded.

"Will there be enough room?" Daniel asked.

"Sure. You're just a little guy - no offense," he added hastily.

"What about Lumpy?"

"The bed's not lumpy," Jack said, getting more confused by the minute.

"No…" Daniel shook his head, looking somewhat impatient. He gave Jack a patented exasperated Daniel look that no amount of lost years could disguise. "What about Lumpy?" He held up what appeared at first glance in the darkness to be a misshapen… well, lump.

Jack realized now that it had been hidden under the folds of Daniel's sleeping bag. "What the heck is that?"

Daniel held it up for closer inspection. "Lumpy," he said patiently. "Sam gave him to me, in case of the bad dreams.

In the glow from the flashlight, Jack could now see that it was indeed a stuffed animal, a camel, in fact, hence, obviously its name. "Oh." He nodded, feeling a little out of his depth. At times like these, when Daniel was out of sorts, and especially after a nightmare, he seemed to become emotionally more child than adult. It hardly seemed fair to be thinking what a thirty-five year old man was doing dragging around a stuffed… He put out his hand and shook a hoof. "Nice to meet ya, Lumpy."

When Daniel merely smiled and hugged Lumpy to him, Jack scooted over to his own adult-sized sleeping bag with Daniel still in his lap, grumpily telling his protesting knees to quit the complaints. Finally, after several minutes of shifting around in the bed, with Daniel arranging Lumpy just so, the boy finally settled down, curled up on his side facing Jack.

Jack watched Daniel watching him, his eyelids blinking slowly, his breaths evening out, his eyes finally closing and staying shut. He stayed awake a long time after, just watching Daniel sleep, before drifting off himself.

o0o

Jack awoke to stifling heat. Daniel lay draped over him, snoring like a freight train from an open mouth, a puddle of drool forming on Jack's t-shirt… again. Lumpy was clutched in Daniel's right hand, sandwiched between his and Jack's chests.

Carefully, Jack slid the sleeping boy off him and sat up, then crawled out of bed and out of the tent. The morning was crisp but clear, a perfect day for a stroll beside the river, maybe a little more fishing in the afternoon.

Taking advantage of Daniel's fatigue, Jack went about his morning ablutions and then got set up to cook breakfast. He looked up from his task when he glimpsed movement at the tent opening out the corner of his eye. "Morning, sleepy head. Ready for breakfast?"

Daniel nodded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Lumpy was cradled in one arm, looking decidedly self-satisfied.

Jack made sure the bacon was burned to Daniel's exacting desires then dished up a plate, adding scrambled eggs and toast. Daniel set Lumpy beside him on the ground and devoured the meal like a starving man.

"Gonna need to buy you new clothes the way you're putting away the food, Junior."

There was only the slightest frown on Daniel's face at Jack's slip before he seemed to dismiss it for being exactly that. He reached over and gulped juice from his tumbler then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "What are we gonna do today?" he asked.

"Well, I thought a walk would be nice," Jack began. He poured hot water from the pot over the fire into a plastic bucket, squirted in dish soap and began to wash the dishes. Daniel, without coaxing, picked up the dishtowel and began to dry the plates as Jack held them out to him. "Can we explore?" he asked. He pointed to the hills a short way off. "Might be caves and stuff."

"Might be bears in them thar caves," Jack said. "Just kidding," he added at Daniel's look of alarm. "No bears around here." He thought for a moment. It seemed only fair to give Daniel some freedom of choice in what they did. "Sure, why not. Go get dressed and don't forget to brush your teeth."

o0o

They'd chosen a gently sloping path to the top, rather than the steep climb from the other end suggested by Daniel. It was not, Jack replied huffily to Daniel's sarcastic rejoinder, because of his poor old knees (emphasis on the old) but because they'd be able to view the scenery better. No way was Jack admitting that Daniel was even partly right about his knees.

The path was fairly wide and the drop not overly steep but Jack warned Daniel to stay to the far side. The kid had run into enough trouble as an adult. There was no way he was facing the doc's ire if he took a banged up Daniel back to the base. Daniel had insisted on bringing Lumpy along for the stroll, now that the cat… or camel, as it were, was out of the bag. He'd walked along, pointing out the birds and plantlife to the stuffed animal, pausing at times as though he was actually getting a response from the toy. Jack didn't mind. In fact, he was glad to let Daniel indulge in some kid time. Daniel had enough adult-sized worries residing in that little head. If he could forget them for a while and just be the little boy he now was, all the better. He stopped and looked back. Daniel had fallen behind again, his attention apparently taken by a plant or rock or something else. The child Daniel seemed as fascinated with the natural world as the adult.

Jack was starting to get bored with the hike. He knew he had a short attention span, didn't need Daniel reminding him of it though. He thought longingly of the river and the fish just waiting to be caught, of the cold beer sitting in the icebox… maybe he could think of a suitable bribe to lure Daniel down to the river. "Daniel," he called. "Shake a leg, huh?"

There was no reply. Shaking his head, Jack turned back the way they'd come. He rounded a bend in the path to see Daniel hanging over the edge of the path, his butt in the air, his hands stretched toward the ground below.

"Daniel!" Jack forgot his weariness. He ran forward, grabbing Daniel by his wildly waving ankles and hauled him backwards.

Daniel thrashed in his grip. "No! Jack, let me go!"

Jack caught hold of Daniel's shoulders and shook him gently. "Settle down!" he admonished. He regretted his harsh tone when Daniel's eyes filled with tears that overflowed down his cheeks. "What's wrong, buddy?"

"Lumpy!" Daniel wailed. "I was just looking over the side to see how far up we were. I tripped on a rock and Lumpy - Lumpy fell!"

"Crap!" Jack straightened. "Stay here," he admonished Daniel. Daniel nodded and swiped at his nose with his hand. Walking over to the edge, Jack leaned over slightly and looked down. Lumpy lay about halfway down, looking none the worse for wear.

"Is he okay?" Daniel asked from beside him.

"I thought I told you to stay over there," Jack groused.

"I'm worried about Lumpy."

"He's fine," Jack said. "I suppose you expect me to go get him." It wasn't a question.

"We - we can't leave him there!" Fresh tears welled in Daniel's eyes.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Jack shook a finger at Daniel. "Don't move from this spot."

Daniel sketched a salute. "I won't."

Carefully, Jack made his way down to the fallen Lumpy. He was almost there when his foot skidded on a loose rock, his knee twisted painfully and then he was falling, somersaulting down past Lumpy, bouncing and skidding, his hands scrabbling frantically for a hold on something to stop his descent. His head slammed solidly into the ground as he was tossed forward and he felt nothing more.

o0o

"Jack?" Tentatively, Daniel shook Jack's nearest shoulder then slapped at his cheek when Jack's head lolled lifelessly from side to side at the movement. "Jack! Stop fooling around!" he shouted tearfully.

There was a big lump on Jack's forehead that was already beginning to purple. His leg was twisted strangely away from his body and he was very still. "Jack?" Daniel whispered.

He scanned their surroundings but there was no one in sight. Jack said he'd chosen this spot because there were never many people around. He said it was where he came when he wanted to do some real fishing and needed time on his own. Daniel shivered. He suddenly felt very small. He clutched Lumpy more tightly to him and gave into his fears, sobbing into Lumpy's soft coat. What if Jack never woke up?

Reaching out with his free hand, he pressed it to Jack's neck and felt a reassuring thrumming against his fingers. Next he placed his hand over Jack's heart. His chest rose and fell rhythmically but still he didn't stir. There was a lump in Jack's shirt pocket, and, with a surge of hope, Daniel pulled the object out. Jack's cell phone! He opened the cover and stared forlornly at the smashed screen.

"I'm scared," Daniel whispered to Lumpy. He had to do something, he knew that. If he just stayed here next to Jack, they might be here all night or longer. Frozen in shock by the sight of Jack's fall, it had taken a while before Daniel had been able to force himself to move and run back down the path. Lumpy had been dislodged by Jack's tumble past him and lay just out of reach of Jack's outstretched hand. Daniel had been trying to wake Jack up for the longest time, and already the afternoon shadows were lengthening, heralding dusk. What if nobody came? What if Jack died before help arrived? Daniel shook his head. He couldn't let that happen… but he was so scared, and he was just a little kid…

Get with the program, Jackson, he could hear Jack saying in his head. You're not really a kid, he reminded himself, just built like one. You're a professor of Archeology and an explorer. You've been to other worlds, fought the Goa'uld, you've died and come back to life - He shivered again. He really wished he hadn't thought about that last part.

"Jack?" He shook Jack's shoulder again but there was still no response. His mind made up, he stood and looked back to where he knew the campsite was. If help wasn't coming to them, he'd go for help. He thought for a moment then carefully placed Lumpy on Jack's chest. "You look after Jack," he told his stuffed friend. "I'll be back soon."

o0o

He was so stupid! Daniel stared down to where his feet dangled far from the car pedals. Even if he could remember how to drive, he couldn't reach the accelerator or the brake, let alone see out the windscreen. Frustrated, he thumped his fist on the steering wheel in a pretty good Jack imitation. He thought for a moment. The truck stop hadn't seemed that far from the campsite. Of course they'd been travelling in a car but still… Just the other day, depressed and angry with one more thing his five year old body couldn't do, Daniel had read a story in the newspaper about a little girl in Australia who'd walked for miles through the bush in bare feet to get help for her badly injured father. It had given him hope that the only thing stopping him from doing most of the things he had done as an adult was his own fear.

He climbed out of the car, took a final look toward the hills where Jack lay, relying on him to bring back help, and began to walk. It wasn't getting dark yet, but he felt very alone in the silence surrounding him, and he tried to ignore the sensation of the gnarled tree trunks closing in him, of their branches reaching out to trap him in their clutches. He heard the snap of a twig in the bushes beyond the path and froze. When he heard nothing more, he walked on.

He found himself in another dilemma once he reached the road. Which way was the truck stop? Being stuck in a booster seat, barely able to see over the dash, had its drawbacks, and he hadn't really been taking notice anyway. Feeling tears burn his eyes, he looked to the right and then to the left. Maybe he could wait here for someone to come along? What if they didn't? What if they told him they'd help and then kidnapped him?

He wrapped his arms about his body. It was getting colder now. Jack would be cold too… and Lumpy. Daniel looked up at the sky. Where was the sun? Right there. He squinted at it, shielding his eyes. The sun had been in front of them on the trip to the campsite. He'd had to pull the visor down to shield the glare. He looked back up the road, waiting for a moment to let his eyes recover. Feeling more confident, he set out in what he was sure was the right direction.

o0o

The pounding in Jack's head would no longer be ignored. He stirred, groaning, cracking open his eyes and slamming them shut just as quickly when the sun's glare sliced through his skull.

His memory came back piecemeal at first and then with greater clarity. Lumpy had fallen, Daniel was crying and… good ol' Jack O'Neill, hero to kids and stuffed animals had tried to save the day, only to end up falling head over ass down the hill.

Taking it more slowly this time, he opened his eyes. His head throbbed pretty badly but his sight was clear. In fact, if he looked down, there was something laying on his chest. Jack lifted it up. Not something, Lumpy. Which meant… "Daniel!"

Panicked when there was no response, Jack surged up from the ground. Bile rose in his throat and he retched violently for a few minutes, certain his head was going to come right off his shoulders. The vomiting finally eased and he took a couple of slow, deep breaths. His headache was fading a little but he noticed his right leg was hurting rather badly. Surely Daniel hadn't tried to climb down… He scanned the area anxiously but saw no sign of the child. "Daniel!" he yelled. "Daniel, where are you?"

Nothing answered but the bushes shaking in the breeze. It was late afternoon, a chill beginning to pervade the air. He'd fallen at least three hours ago. His cell phone lay beside him but a quick glance showed that it was damaged beyond repair.

Grasping Lumpy in one hand, his thoughts only on finding Daniel, Jack staggered up on shaky legs, only to collapse back to the ground when his knee gave out on him. "Damn it, Daniel! Where are you?"

Jack forced himself up again, biting his lip against the agony in his leg. Slowly, he began to limp back toward the campsite.

o0o

"Four hundred…" Or was it five hundred? Daniel had begun to count his steps in an effort to keep the fatigue at bay, but it wasn't working. He was so tired but he knew if he stopped walking now, he'd never be able to start again. He kept his head down, staring at his feet, willing them to keep moving, just one more step after the other.

"Hey there, cutie. What on earth are you doing out here all alone?"

The voice was slightly familiar. Daniel looked up to see a car idling on the road beside him. He hadn't even heard it. Squinting into the dim interior, he saw a plump woman frowning at him.

Right, his dazed mind supplied, the woman from the truck stop.

"Honey? What's wrong? What happened?" The woman bustled out of the car and rushed over to him. Bending down, she rested her hands on his shoulders. "Daniel, right? Where's your dad?"

The concerned look in her warm brown eyes and the sheer relief at not being alone anymore broke the dam on Daniel's tears and they flooded his eyes, dripping in rivulets down his cheeks. His words came out in a rush, pushed from a throat so tight, he could scarcely make them heard. "Jack fell! He's hurt. He wouldn't wake up. I tried. It's all my fault."

"Oh, honey." He was lifted into her arms and wrapped in a tight embrace and thirty-five or not, he allowed himself the comfort of it, burying his head against her neck and continuing to cry.

"Let's get you back to the truck stop. We'll call the police from there -"

"No!" Daniel pulled back in her arms. "We have to go to Jack!" He pointed back the way he'd come. "It's just back there. Do you have a cell phone?"

"Sure."

"You can call the police when we get back to Jack."

She stared at him for a long moment, a frown creasing her forehead. Finally, she gave him a final squeeze and settled him on her hip while she opened the passenger door. "Okay, sweetie. We'll do it your way."

o0o

Jack barely saved himself from collapsing once more. He could see their tent from here. Not much further to go. Trepidation filled him when he saw no signs of life at the campsite. "Daniel!"

He took one staggering step after another, willing himself to keep moving. A car swept into the camp, skidding to a screeching halt in front of him. Thank god! "I need help," Jack yelled hoarsely. "I've lost… I can't find my son!"

"Jack!" The passenger door opened and a small whirlwind emerged, racing toward him, throwing itself into Jack's arms. Jack's knee refused to take that kind of strain and he collapsed back onto the ground, hanging on tightly to Daniel.

"Daniel? Thank god!" Jack framed Daniel's grimy face with his hands, checking to see if he was all right. "Are you okay?"

The woman from the truck stop was beside them now, helping Jack to sit up with one hand while she held her cell phone to her ear with the other.

Daniel nodded, a grin splitting his exhausted face from ear to ear. "I couldn't wake you up so I went for help. I had to walk a long way but then Maggie found me."

"You walked?" Jack pulled Daniel back into his arms, relishing in the solid feel of Daniel squirming against him.

"Not so tight, Jack," Daniel protested, "you're squishing Lumpy!"

"Lumpy?" Maggie asked. She'd finished her call and was now kneeling beside them, watching the reunion with a big smile.

"Ahh," Jack pulled Lumpy out and handed him off to Daniel, who engulfed his beloved camel in a bear hug, "not mine," Jack assured her. "Just looking after him for Daniel."

"Sure, I understand," Maggie said with a twinkle in her eye. "Right," she said, getting down to business, "Rescue fellas should be here in about thirty minutes. How about we make you comfortable, and get you cleaned up." This last was directed at Daniel with a stern wag of her finger. "I'll get you both some water. Daniel's a little dehydrated," she said to Jack. "Apart from that, he's fine, far as I can tell." She reached out and ruffled Daniel's hair. "He's a brave little boy."

Jack nodded and gave both Daniel and Lumpy another hug just because. "More than you know, Maggie. More than you know."

o0o

Seated on a chair in the nurses' station, Daniel balanced the phone receiver in one hand and clutched Lumpy tightly with the other. Jack had been taken up to surgery a short time before to have his knee fixed - again. The doctor said he also had a mild concussion but apart from that, he was going to be fine. Jack had insisted that Daniel be checked out as well and the pretty lady doctor had pronounced him to be dehydrated and fatigued, with a couple of grazes on his hands and knees that Daniel couldn't even remember getting. Maggie had insisted on staying with him once Jack was whisked away and as much as Daniel was grateful for her reassuring presence and kindness, he felt suddenly bereft. When he told Maggie he needed to phone a friend, she carried him straight to the nurses' station and plonked him down on the seat.

His fingers couldn't seem to find the right numbers and he'd fumbled for a short time, almost crying again in sheer frustration before Maggie had taken over in her no-nonsense fashion.

"You're tuckered out, sweetie," she said, with her hand poised over the phone pad. "What's the number?"

Finally, the phone was answered. "General Hammond, please. It's Daniel Jackson." Daniel smiled innocently at the astonished look on Maggie's face. He shrugged. "I know some people," he said enigmatically.

"Hammond."

The overwhelming relief at hearing the familiar voice opened the floodgates once more and Daniel's words spewed out in a rush, recounting how he'd let Lumpy fall, how Jack had tried to rescue him, of watching Jack tumble down the hill, not being able to wake him up, of walking and walking and walking…

"Doctor Jackson!" The authority in Hammond's voice brought the verbal onslaught to an abrupt halt. Daniel took a gulping breath. "Daniel," Hammond said, his voice kind and sounding worried. "Start at the beginning, son. Tell me what happened?"

Daniel did and by the time he'd finished, Maggie was dabbing at tears he didn't know had fallen and wiping at a few of her own.

"All right, son," Hammond said, "you just stay put. Major Carter and Teal'c are on their way."

o0o

The hospital room was silent and dim, lit only by the soft glow of a bedside lamp. One of the two beds was occupied by a slightly drug-addled, feeling absolutely no pain Jack O'Neill. The other bed was empty, though the ruffled bedclothes indicated the tossing and turning of its occupant.

Daniel hadn't been able to sleep, as exhausted as he was. His thoughts wouldn't switch off, going round and round in his head, and every time he closed his eyes, he saw Jack disappearing from sight down the hill, heard his own screams of panic.

He sat now beside Jack, watching his friend sleep, his eyes growing heavy, his body jerking him awake every time he relaxed.

"Daniel?" Jack's voice sounded rough and dry.

"Jack! You awake?"

"No, I talk in my sleep all the time." Daniel smiled at the welcome sarcastic rejoinder. It meant Jack was feeling better. Jack shifted carefully in the bed, wincing a little and looked over at him. "Why are you sitting there, instead of tucked into bed?"

Daniel shrugged and played with one of Lumpy's ears. "Not tired," he said.

"C'mere." Jack held out his arms.

"Won't I hurt your knee?" Daniel asked, even as he was scrambling willingly into Jack's bed.

"I'll be fine," Jack assured him.

Daniel shifted around for a bit, being careful not to knock Jack's knee, finally finding a comfortable spot, nestled in Jack's embrace, his head resting on Jack's chest. Jack's hand stroked up and down his back, setting up a hypnotic rhythm that had him drifting at last toward slumber.

Daniel pressed a kiss to Lumpy's nose then reached up as far as he could and kissed the tip of Jack's chin. "Even though all this bad stuff happened," he said drowsily, settling back to sleep, "I'm glad we came."

He felt Jack's lips touch the top of his head. "Me too, Danny, me too."

Daniel roused himself for just a moment. "Maybe next time I should leave Lumpy at home."

"Nah," Jack pushed Daniel's head back down to rest on his chest, "wouldn't be the same without Lumpy."

**END **


	4. Chapter 4

Daniel was bored. Mind-numbingly, out of his skull bored. Sighing, he riffled one last time through the pages of the book he'd told Jack he just had to have from the bookstore and set it aside. He stared at the TV, playing the DVD documentary on pyramids he'd told Jack he just had to rent from the video store on the way back from the mountain, pulled a face and turned it off.

Rolling onto his side and almost falling off the edge of the sofa, he stared at Jack, who sat slumped in an armchair beside him, his bad knee encased in a splint and resting on a pillow atop the coffee table, eyes closed, snoring softly, and… drooling.

Eeew!

Daniel sat up and pushed himself off the couch. He walked over to stand in front of Jack. "Jack?"

No answer.

A little louder: "Jack?"

Nothing.

A solid prod with his finger to Jack's chest, and in a voice that could have been heard in the next county: "Jack!"

"What!" Jack shot up in his chair, almost surging to his feet. He winced and grabbed at his knee. "Geez! Warn a guy, will ya! What's wrong? House burn down? Thieves steal the good china?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "No…"

Jack stared at him. "Then what?"

"I'm bored."

"Read your book."

"Read it."

Watch your DVD."

"I did. It's boring and I'm bored. Bored shit-"

"Daniel, watch your language. Little boys shouldn't swear."

"You swear."

"I'm not a little boy."

"Neither am I. I'm thirty-five years old."

Jack made a show of looking him up and down.

"Inside," Daniel protested.

"Still," Jack reasoned, "words like that don't sound right coming out of a five year old mouth, even if it's attached to a thirty-five year old brain."

"Fine, but I'm still bored."

Jack looked around the room, but apparently getting no inspiration, sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Rain's stopped. Why don't you go outside and play for a while? Just don't go near the lake or too far from the house. Just play in the backyard, okay?"

Daniel opened his mouth to protest that he wasn't really a kid, that he didn't want to go out and play, that he'd rather be at the mountain, working on a translation or checking out a new planet, but he saw the exhaustion in Jack's eyes and the fine lines of pain framing them. It was his fault, after all. If he hadn't dropped Lumpy at the camping ground, Jack wouldn't have fallen down the hill and he wouldn't be laid up at home with his knee in a splint. "Okay," he said instead. "I'll be good," he promised when Jack opened his mouth.

o0o

He was still bored. Daniel sat on the edge of the little dock, almost, but not quite defying Jack's order that he not go near the lake. He tossed a stone at the water, watching as it hit the surface with a small plop and sunk immediately, silently bemoaning the fact that he couldn't even remember how to skim pebbles.

"Hey."

He looked around at the greeting. A small boy, a little older than him, was standing in the yard, holding onto the handlebars of a shiny red bike. A small dog danced around his ankles, yipping excitedly. "Quiet, Boo," the boy admonished.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Your dog's name is Boo?"

The boy shrugged. "My dad said he just looked like a Boo when we got him. I'm Marcus, what's your name?"

"Daniel."

"Hey, Daniel. My mom and dad and I are staying in a cabin just up the road a little way." He smiled and patted the handlebars of his bike. "Dad let me bring my new bike. See…" He turned it slightly to the side and Daniel saw it had an equally shiny red wagon attached to the back. "Sometimes, Boo rides in there, but today, we're gonna build a fort so I need the trailer to carry wood and stuff. Wanna help?"

Daniel considered the proposition. He was bored… and Marcus looked like a friendly kid, with a ready smile and freckles dotting his nose. But… he wasn't supposed to go away from the house and Jack was sleeping. He sighed and shook his head. "No, but thanks. I've got stuff to do here."

"Like what?" Marcus asked.

Daniel really didn't want to have to tell Marcus about how Jack had fallen down the hill because of him so he just shrugged. "Stuff. I need to collect some artifacts." After a moment, he added, when Marcus didn't seem the slightest bit impressed, "I'm an archeologist." He looked over at the garage and gestured to the roof where Jack's telescope sat. "After that, I'm going to do a star map."

Marcus just shrugged back. "Well, I'm a soldier and me and Boo are gonna build a fort. See ya."

"Bye." Daniel watched them leave. The bike with its nifty little wagon attached to the back was pretty cool, and building a fort would be sort of fun. They could have pretended they were defending it against the Goa'uld…

Standing, he dusted off the seat of his pants and walked over to the garage. Well, he could still do stuff he liked to do and not disobey Jack's orders, couldn't he? Grabbing hold of the sides of the ladder, he carefully climbed up to the roof.

o0o

Well, it had seemed like a good idea, but it wasn't dark enough yet for any stars to be out and judging by the dark clouds threatening, there weren't going to be any visible tonight anyway. It was starting to get seriously cold… and then a fat raindrop splashed against Daniel's glasses. Frustrated, he pulled them off and used the hem of his sweater to dry them.

"Crap!" he muttered. Standing, he looked down… and froze. Below him, the ground seemed miles away and his eyesight suddenly blurred. Plopping down onto his butt, he grabbed hold of the base of the telescope and hung on for dear life. "Jack!" he wailed, tears streaming down his cheeks and mixing with the rain that now began to fall heavily. "Jack! Help!"

It seemed forever before he finally heard a welcome voice. "Daniel? Where the hell are you?"

"Up here," Daniel screamed. "I can't get down!"

"Crap!"

Daniel leaned carefully forward to peer over the edge of the roof then shrank back as dizziness assailed him. "I'm stuck!"

"No, you're not," Jack said, sounding perfectly calm. "All you need to do is get over to the ladder and climb back down. I'm right here below you. I won't let you fall."

Daniel shook his head vehemently. "No! I'll fall!"

"I won't let you," Jack replied. There was a moment of silence, then Jack said, "I'll come up and get you."

"You can't. Your knee -"

"My knee's fine," Jack broke in. "Just stay right where you are and - Ow! Shit! Goddammit!"

"Jack?" Daniel called fearfully. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Just fine," Jack said but Daniel could tell he wasn't. His voice was tight and shaky.

"I can get down," Daniel said though his chest felt tight and it was hard to breathe. "You just wait there - and catch me if I fall."

"Thanks… You sure?"

Daniel shook his head. "I'm sure." Slowly, he unclenched his cold hands from the base of the telescope and carefully inched his way to the edge of the roof on his butt. Reaching out, he grabbed the sides of the ladder, then turned onto his tummy. With his eyes clenched tightly shut, his heart pounding in his chest, he dangled one foot over the side and felt for the first rung.

It was slow going. Every step down felt like a mile, the rain plastered his hair to his head and dribbled beneath the collar of his sweater and Daniel was shaking with cold and fear by the time he felt a strong pair of hands grasp him and lift him from the ladder.

Sobbing in relief, he wrapped his arms tightly around Jack's neck. "'m sorry."

"It's okay," Jack whispered into his ear. He was cradled against Jack's chest and he could hear Jack's heart pounding, feel the trembling of Jack's arms. "Let's go get warm."

o0o

Daniel poked at the marshmallow floating in his hot chocolate, watching it bob around in his cup. He took a sip and sighed, feeling it warm him up on the inside. He was toasty warm on the outside now, having been bathed and then dressed in warm pajamas. Now, he sat next to Jack on the sofa, a fluffy blanket wrapped around both of them, while they watched the rain pour down outside.

"I made a new friend today," Daniel said, setting his mug carefully on the coffee table and snuggling up against Jack. "His name's Marcus and he's got a bike with a wagon on the back and…" He yawned. "… and a dog called Boo. He was going to be a soldier and build a fort."

"Sounds cool," Jack said. He sounded sleepy too, Daniel thought.

"I was grumpy so I said I didn't want to play but I thought, tomorrow, if it's not raining, maybe he could come over. We wouldn't go far away - you could sit on the porch and watch us."

"Sounds like a plan," Jack replied. He was quiet for a long while and Daniel thought perhaps he'd gone to sleep, then he said, "Maybe we could go to the toy store in the morning, find you a bike."

"With a wagon?"

He felt Jack shrug. "Sure, why not." Another pause. "No dogs though, especially dogs named Boo."

Daniel giggled. "No dogs. But you'd really get me a bike… even after I disobeyed you today and made you hurt your leg again?"

Jack's arm wrapped around his shoulders and squeezed gently. Jack's lips pressed against the top of his damp hair. "Not your fault, Daniel, we're both still trying to figure this kid thing out. Besides, every kid needs a bike, right?"

Daniel nodded, his eyes already drooping closed. "Right, Jack."

**END **


End file.
